CYTown

Bronwyn's Council Preview

 

YOU MAY VIEW THE MEETING ONLINE AT THE FOLLOWING SITES:
https://www.youtube.com/ameschannel12
https://www.cityofames.org/channel12
or watch the meeting live on Mediacom Channel 12

 

Usually some of the agenda items will have a period where members of the public may briefly speak to Council.
TO REACH THE MAYOR AND ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL:
Send email to MayorCouncil@AmesCityCouncil.org
(Note that emails to elected officials are generally subject to Iowa Open Records requests)
 

AGENDA
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL

The Ames City Council meeting is at 6 p.m. at City Hall.   The regular council meeting agenda  includes the following. Note that you can generally click on individual agenda items below to get the full staff report or other explanation.

• 49. Agreements with Iowa State University for CYTown.
  ICYMI, here is my synopsis from the March 11th Ames Council Preview: 
  
  For several years now, ISU has been developing the concept of CyTown, a commercial/residential/entertainment district at the Iowa State Center. Not only do they believe it will add a vibrancy to the area, it is also the mechanism by which they can fund much-needed renovations to the main four buildings at the Iowa State Center. (Hilton, Scheman, Fisher, and C.Y. Stephens). The City's concerns with CyTown were two-fold. First, the university doesn't pay property tax. Second, per State code, they aren't allowed to compete with the private sector in certain ways. In order to come to a compromise on these issues, a Memorandum of Understanding is being proposed, which outlines responsibilities for maintenance and establishes a payment-in-lieux-of-tax (PILOT) to be paid to the City. For the first two decades, this PILOT would be reinvested in the ISU Center, and then would gradually revert to the City. 
  
  Now (following an agreement reached regarding utility easements), Council is being asked to approve the proposed MOU (memorandum of understanding) regarding this PILOT. 
  
  
• 50. Ames Economic Development Commission.
  This is an annual report and contract renewal from the AEDC. No changes are proposed to the contract. Currently, the City funds the AEDC for business recruitment/marketing services ($115,000) and $60,000 for the City Business Development Coordinator.
  
  
• 51. Summary of Harrison Road Surplus Land Neighborhood Outreach Meeting for Housing Infill Options .
  In December of last year, Council heard a report from staff about housing infill opportunities in Ames. (Infill is a term describing redevelopment of existing areas of a city, rather than "greenfield" developments which typically expand the footprint of a city in order to provide additional housing.) In addition to several more substantially-sized privately-owned areas of town, one small (1.8 acre) City-owned property along Harrison Rd. was mentioned at that meeting. For that property, staff recommended starting with a public outreach meeting. An outreach meeting was held on April 11th, and staff are reporting back on that meeting and options for proceeding or not. Notices were sent to 112 property owners, and 15 people (representing 11 properties) attended the meeting. None were in favor of developing the site for housing. Those in attendance were shown several potential options for format and density of single-family housing (ranging from 5-12 residences) but they declined to note any preference between the options.
  
  
• 52. Request to Initiate a Zoning Text Amendment for Exception to Minimum FAR and Height Along Main Street.
  This was a request from the owners of Ames Silversmithing, who recently purchased the one-story at 218 Main St, and would like to renovate it. They are asking for an exception to the two-story building requirement on Main St. 
  
  
• 54. Planning Division Work Plan 2024.
  Staff in the Planning Department have listed the projects on their to-do list, one of which is a zoning overhaul. While helpful and needed, it is a big project and could delay related Council referrals. Staff are asking for Council's input on the timing of this project and others.

Communications to Council: The following items are requests and communications to Council that aren't published on the agenda, so we won't deliberate them substantially.  This includes staff reports and communications or requests from constituents and developers. Typically, Council will ask city staff for more information, put the item on a future agenda for deliberation and possible action, or just accept the communication, taking no further action.

• Residential energy audit.
• Downtown parking.
  
• CyTown emails 050624.
• CyTown March 122024.
• Pool demolition.
• Koshu delegates AIPCA.
• Highland Ave bike ped.
• Mowing hours.
• Dotson traffic concern.
  

Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen
Ames City Council, Ward 1

Collection Procedures for Past Due Parking Tickets and Utility Accounts.

Bronwyn's Council Preview

 

YOU MAY VIEW THE MEETING ONLINE AT THE FOLLOWING SITES:
https://www.youtube.com/ameschannel12
https://www.cityofames.org/channel12
or watch the meeting live on Mediacom Channel 12

 

Usually some of the agenda items will have a period where members of the public may briefly speak to Council.
TO REACH THE MAYOR AND ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL:
Send email to MayorCouncil@AmesCityCouncil.org
(Note that emails to elected officials are generally subject to Iowa Open Records requests)
 

AGENDA
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL

The Ames City Council meeting is at 6 p.m. at City Hall.   The regular council meeting agenda  includes the following. Note that you can generally click on individual agenda items below to get the full staff report or other explanation.

• 36. Hearing on City of Ames Budget.
  This hearing is the next step in approving our adjusted current-year budget and the proposed FY '24/'25 budget. (As per a new state requirement, a special meeting of the Ames City Council was held for a public hearing on the budget on April 9th.)
  
  
• 38. Hearing on Baker Subdivision Multi-Family Housing Geothermal Installation.
  As part of the Baker Subdivision, the City had hoped to install geothermal systems in order to reduce energy needs and long-term utility costs. Geothermal systems have been prepared for the single-family style housing, but the bid for the multi-family geothermal system came in at more than twice the engineers estimate. To rebid the project with a new design would delay the project enough to jeopardize the LIHTC funding upon which it depends. Due to this, staff recommend rejecting the bid and forgoing the geothermal system for the multi-family development.
  
  
• 39. Hearing on sale of land at 321 State Avenue within the Baker Subdivision (now known as 3216 Tripp Street).
  We approved this item at our March 26th meeting, but the Iowa Finance Authority has certain requirements for publishing notices regarding this type of sale, so we are doing it again to ensure proper notice is published.
   
• 40. Hearing on amendment to Chapter 5 and Chapter 22 of Ames Municipal Code regarding Missing Infrastructure Requirements.
  This amendment would allow staff some flexibility in waiving our requirements to fill in missing infrastructure on a few specific non-residential unimproved streets in Ames. (Carnegie, Edison, Pullman, Freel, McCormick, Flemming, Cherry, and Sondrol) 
  
  
• 43. Collection Procedures for Past Due Parking Tickets and Utility Accounts.
  In January of this year, we directed staff to pursue these alternate methods for collecting unpaid parking tickets or utility bills. First, for parking tickets for Story County residents totaling more than $50, the Story County Treasurer can place a hold on vehicle registrations. For other State of Iowa residents, or for unpaid utility bills, the State has a setoff program administered by the Department of Revenue to collect funds via tax refund or casino/sports wagering winnings. 
  
  
• 40. First passage of Ordinance amending Chapter 28 of the Municipal Code establishing Geothermal Services and rules and charges therefore 
  This item deals with the geothermal system in place for the single-family lots at the Baker Subdivision. Electric Services will maintain the equipment for 50 years, after which point the responsibility for maintenance will switch to the homeowner.

Communications to Council: The following items are requests and communications to Council that aren't published on the agenda, so we won't deliberate them substantially.  This includes staff reports and communications or requests from constituents and developers. Typically, Council will ask city staff for more information, put the item on a future agenda for deliberation and possible action, or just accept the communication, taking no further action.

• Dayton Ave TIF.
  

Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen
Ames City Council, Ward 1

 

 

 

Bike & Pedestrian Master Plan

Bronwyn's Council Preview

 

YOU MAY VIEW THE MEETING ONLINE AT THE FOLLOWING SITES:
https://www.youtube.com/ameschannel12
https://www.cityofames.org/channel12
or watch the meeting live on Mediacom Channel 12

 

Usually some of the agenda items will have a period where members of the public may briefly speak to Council.
TO REACH THE MAYOR AND ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL:
Send email to MayorCouncil@AmesCityCouncil.org
(Note that emails to elected officials are generally subject to Iowa Open Records requests)
 

AGENDA
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL

The Ames City Council meeting is at 6 p.m. at City Hall.   The regular council meeting agenda  includes the following. Note that you can generally click on individual agenda items below to get the full staff report or other explanation.

• 2. Second reading of Ordinance for the City-wide Designation of the Urban Revitalization Area (URA).
  This is the second reading of this ordinance. (The first reading was held at last week's meeting.) 
  
  
• 3. Bike & Pedestrian Master Plan Presentation.
  This workshop is primarily being held to review and discuss the City's progress to-date with the Bike/Ped Master Plan. Public input has been collected over the past few months, and staff, along w/ the consultant, Toole, will present the results of that input. Council will then have an opportunity for input of our own, before reviewing next steps.

Communications to Council: The following items are requests and communications to Council that aren't published on the agenda, so we won't deliberate them substantially.  This includes staff reports and communications or requests from constituents and developers. Typically, Council will ask city staff for more information, put the item on a future agenda for deliberation and possible action, or just accept the communication, taking no further action.

• Downtown design exception request text amendment. 
• Rezoning request.
  

Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen
Ames City Council, Ward 1

 

 

 

Sidewalk Safety Program

Bronwyn's Council Preview

 

YOU MAY VIEW THE MEETING ONLINE AT THE FOLLOWING SITES:
https://www.youtube.com/ameschannel12
https://www.cityofames.org/channel12
or watch the meeting live on Mediacom Channel 12

 

Usually some of the agenda items will have a period where members of the public may briefly speak to Council.
TO REACH THE MAYOR AND ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL:
Send email to MayorCouncil@AmesCityCouncil.org
(Note that emails to elected officials are generally subject to Iowa Open Records requests)
 

KHOI's Capitol Week

Ames Council News keeps you up to date on the actions of the Ames City council.  If you are interested in what is happening with government of the State of Iowa check out KHOI's Capitol Week. Laura Belin updates you on developments in Iowa government. Capitol Week is  an in-depth look at each week’s legislative actions, the governor, public agencies, and important events, as lawmakers act on matters that affect you and your family. 

AGENDA
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL

The Ames City Council special meeting is at 5:15 p.m. at City Hall.   Iowa Code section 24.2A requires a public hearing on the proposed property tax levy for the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025. This property tax levy hearing must occur before holding a hearing on the proposed annual budget. This new requirement, approved during the 2023 legislative session, requires the property tax levy hearing to be the only item on the agenda.

• 1. Public Hearing Regarding the Proposed Property Tax Levy for Fiscal Year July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025.
  As part of a new State law in 2023, this public hearing is being held to hear thoughts on the proposed property tax levy. The City's proposed total levy is $10.09446 (per $1,000 of valuation). (This levy is down 1.04% from the prior levy of $10.20097.)

AGENDA
REGULAR MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL

The Ames City Council meeting is at 6 p.m. at City Hall.   The regular council meeting agenda  includes the following. Note that you can generally click on individual agenda items below to get the full staff report or other explanation.

• 25. Staff Report on Sidewalk Safety Program
  Last year, it was determined that our sidewalk repair parameters needed review. Currently, sidewalk repair is the financial responsibility of the abutting property owner. It is a complaint-based (rather than proactive) system, and requires sidewalk to be replaced if it has gaps, cracks, etc. The staff proposal would update the size and number of gaps and cracks requiring attention. Council will also consider other factors, such as proactive enforcement and cost sharing.
  
  
• 26. Request for Accommodation for Kiwanis Trailer at 803 & 919 E. Lincoln Way
  This request is from the Ames Kiwanis, regarding a paper recycling drop-off semi trailer located between 803 and 919 E. Lincoln Way. A gravel driveway was added between the two properties without permits from the City, and the semi trailer is currently parked over the property line on this unauthorized driveway. The staff report outlines an option for an exception process overseen by the Zoning Board of Adjustments (ZBA), or the Kiwanis may yet reach an agreement with one of the property owners to park the trailer entirely on one property.
  
  
• 27. Plats of Survey for Rural Boundary Line Adjustments within Boone County
  Last year, Council received a request from a property owner to be allowed to subdivide property into parcels for estate planning purposes. At the time of the request, the property owner was amenable to a restriction to farming related purposes on all of the parcels but the one containing an existing farmhouse. Now the request is to allow the construction of one additional house, but restrict the remaining lots to farming purposes only.
  
  
• 28. Proposed 2024-29 Consolidated Plan Five Year Goals and 2024-25 Annual Action Plan Projects 
  Annual Action Plans and Consolidated 5-Year plans are both required of HUD (Dept of Housing and Urban Development) in order to receive federal CDBG dollars. This is a follow-up to a meeting on Feb 20, when staff held a workshop to collect feedback from Council and the public on the proposed goals and priorities of the 5-year plan.
  
  

Communications to Council: The following items are requests and communications to Council that aren't published on the agenda, so we won't deliberate them substantially.  This includes staff reports and communications or requests from constituents and developers. Typically, Council will ask city staff for more information, put the item on a future agenda for deliberation and possible action, or just accept the communication, taking no further action.

• Yard waste exemption.
• Zoning adjustment.
  

Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen
Ames City Council, Ward 1

 

 

 

Sanitary sewer rate increase

Bronwyn's Council Preview

 

YOU MAY VIEW THE MEETING ONLINE AT THE FOLLOWING SITES:
https://www.youtube.com/ameschannel12
https://www.cityofames.org/channel12
or watch the meeting live on Mediacom Channel 12

 

Usually some of the agenda items will have a period where members of the public may briefly speak to Council.
TO REACH THE MAYOR AND ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL:
Send email to MayorCouncil@AmesCityCouncil.org
(Note that emails to elected officials are generally subject to Iowa Open Records requests)
 

The Ames City Council meeting is at 6 p.m. at City Hall.   The regular council meeting agenda (part 1)  and agenda (part 2) includes the following. Note that you can generally click on individual agenda items below to get the full staff report or other explanation.

• 1. Motion approving Draft FY 2025 Transportation Planning Work Program and setting May 28, 2024, as date of public hearing.
  This document is an annual work plan, showing major transportation related categories and projects for each in the next year.
  
  
• 2. Hearing on Final FFY 2025-2029 Passenger Transportation Plan.
  This will update the PTP (Passenger Transportation Plan) for CyRide. It was first presented in February, and has undergone its public comment period (no public comments were received).
  
  
• 25. Resolution Approving Geothermal Easement Agreements for Baker Subdivision.
  This item deals with easements for the geothermal systems in the Baker Subdivision. If you remember, in 2020, in an effort toward sustainability, Council directed staff to pursue a geothermal installation at the Baker Subdivision (between State Ave. and S Wilmoth Ave.). At first, we had hoped for a shared system between all the single-family lots, but ultimately bids were too expensive, and instead we pursued geothermal wells on each site. 
  
  
• 27. Discussion of Text Amendments for Housing Development and Subdivision Standards and General Zoning Standards Flexibility.
  Council gets many requests to modify zoning and subdivision standards on a case-by-case basis, and we recently asked staff if there would be ways to make our systems more flexible, so some of these case-by-case requests could be handled at the staff level. Staff recommend a zoning ordinance update, though this is a time-consuming project, and would need to be put into the Planning Department's work plan. In addition, staff recommend a review of our Conservation Overlay system, especially given some recent State legislation that may affect how Cities oversee stormwater control.
  
  
• 28. Resolution approving amendment to the Option Agreement for the sale of Lot 27 to Townhomes At Creekside, LLP (Affiliated with Hatch Development Group) in conjunction with a Development Agreement for a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) application for Multi-Family Housing Development within Baker Subdivision.
  This item is the next step towards a multi-family low-income housing development at the Baker Subdivision. This updated development agreement includes language about the geothermal installation (mentioned previously), and would dedicate an additional $300,000 of City HOME funding to the project. 
  
  
• 29. Update on Parks and Recreation Project Plan.
  This is an update on a timeline of all the Parks projects in the works, including (but not limited to) 
  -The Steven L. Schainker Plaza
  -Bandshell improvements
  -Community Center upgrades
  -Ontario Park (new parkland) master planning
  -Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic center construction
  
  
• 35. Staff presentation on FY 2024/25 sanitary sewer rate increase.
  The presentation linked in this staff report shows a history of rates in Ames, as well as the state and national trends of increasing water and sewer rates. This rate increase will be 7%, effective July 1, 2024.
  
  
• 36. Resolution authorizing the Mayor to sign a Letter of Support to Polk County, Iowa for the Central Iowa Priority Climate Action Plan Implementation funding through Phase II of the US Environmental Protection Agency Carbon Pollution Reduction Grant in the amount of $49,999,999.
  Several counties in central Iowa, including Polk, Guthrie, Dallas, Madison, Jasper, Warren, and Story are working together to submit a grant request to the EPA. The focus of the grant will be to assist in residential energy reduction, through winterization and other improvements to residential properties. 
  
  

Communications to Council: The following items are requests and communications to Council that aren't published on the agenda, so we won't deliberate them substantially.  This includes staff reports and communications or requests from constituents and developers. Typically, Council will ask city staff for more information, put the item on a future agenda for deliberation and possible action, or just accept the communication, taking no further action.

• Game day special event parking.
  
• Train noise near AHS .
  
• Play Ames Imagine Your City final report spring2023 .
• Kiwanis paper donation trailer.
  

Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen
Ames City Council, Ward 1

 

 

 

Bronwyn's Council Preview

 

YOU MAY VIEW THE MEETING ONLINE AT THE FOLLOWING SITES:
https://www.youtube.com/ameschannel12
https://www.cityofames.org/channel12
or watch the meeting live on Mediacom Channel 12

 

Usually some of the agenda items will have a period where members of the public may briefly speak to Council.
TO REACH THE MAYOR AND ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL:
Send email to MayorCouncil@AmesCityCouncil.org
(Note that emails to elected officials are generally subject to Iowa Open Records requests)
 

The Ames City Council meeting is at 6 p.m. at City Hall.   The regular council meeting agenda includes the following. Note that you can generally click on individual agenda items below to get the full staff report or other explanation.

 

• 24. Staff Report on CYTown Development.
  For several years now, ISU has been developing the concept of CyTown, a commercial/residential/entertainment district at the Iowa State Center. Not only do they believe it will add a vibrancy to the area, it is also the mechanism by which they can fund much-needed renovations to the main four buildings at the Iowa State Center. (Hilton, Scheman, Fisher, and C.Y. Stephens). The City's concerns with CyTown were two-fold. First, the university doesn't pay property tax. Second, per State code, they aren't allowed to compete with the private sector in certain ways. In order to come to a compromise on these issues, a Memorandum of Understanding is being proposed, which outlines responsibilities for maintenance and establishes a payment-in-lieux-of-tax (PILOT) to be paid to the City. For the first two decades, this PILOT would be reinvested in the ISU Center, and then would gradually revert to the City. 
  Council isn't being asked to make any decisions at this meeting, rather this is just information to digest for now. We'll be discussing this topic at a future meeting, likely in April. 
   

• 25. Motion approving City Council Values, Goals, and Tasks for January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025.
  This is a follow up to our goal setting meeting from 1/6/2024. Staff are asking for clarification on two items. One is a goal referencing a specific Community and Regional Planning class, and staff are asking if Council would like to change it to more general language about public engagement. The second question relates to Council's interest in encouraging the Transit (CyRide) Board to pursue "fare-free" CyRide. After clarification on these two issues, Council will be asked to confirm these goals. 

Communications to Council: The following items are requests and communications to Council that aren't published on the agenda, so we won't deliberate them substantially.  This includes staff reports and communications or requests from constituents and developers. Typically, Council will ask city staff for more information, put the item on a future agenda for deliberation and possible action, or just accept the communication, taking no further action.
 

• Board and Commission Appointment Criteria.

Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen
Ames City Council, Ward 1